Machine for drawing sheet-metal vessels.



v No. 851,630. PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

E. H. SLOMAN.

MACHINE FOR DRAWING SHEET METAL VESSELS.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY22. 1905.

4 SHEBTSSHEBT 1.

WITNESSES -//vv/v TOE.

'EUGE/YE- H .sLoMA/v- BY v p21,! (WA: /(uudfk No. 851,630. I PATENTED APR. 23, 1907. E. H. SLOMAN.

MACHINE FOR DRAWING SHEET METAL VE$SELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG-5 W/TNEKESEG l/vva/v-rola EUGEHE- H 5LOMAH- No. 851,630. PATENTED APR. 23, 1907. E. H. SLOMAN.

MACHINE FOR DRAWING SHEET METAL VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY22,1905.

Ema filia 4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVE/YTUB n -fUG'E/VE- H- \SLOMAN' v, ATT'Y.

PATENTED APR. 28, 1907.

B. H. SLOMAN.

MACHINE FOR DRAWING SHEET METAL VBSSELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE H. SLOMAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed July 22, 1905. Serial No. 270,801.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE H. SLOMAN, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Drawing Sheet-\Ietal Vessels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines for drawing or pressing sheet metal articles of varying diameter, and consists in the construction of a press having a male member and a female member, the latter having means for varying the size of opening at the drawing point to correspond to the size and shape of the finished article, whereby at all times the metal drawn inward by the punch member will be given its final shape in passing over the drawing edge.

, The inventi n further consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the ,various parts as more fully hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In this application I have shown, in addition to my improved press, a press for forming a blank from which I draw the finished article.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section through my improved press, showing the dies separated and showing in dotted lines the parts with the blank in position; Fig. 2 is a section through the press for forming the blank; Fig. 3 is a section, similar to Fig. 1, showing my im proved machine with the finished article partially drawn or pressed; Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 showing the article completely formed; Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4 showing in dotted lines the relative positi on of the blank and female dies at different points of the operation; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the male die; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the dies as shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 8 and 10 are plans of slightly modified forms of the female die; Fig. 9 is a section on line yy of Fig. 8; and Fig. 11 is a section on line :ca; of Fig. 9.

In the present state of the art it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to press or draw with dies a sheet metal article having varying diameters at different points in its height, and such an article, for instance, as a bath tub, has been found difficult, if not impossible, to draw or press ,without having wrinkles or undulations in the metal. My

machine is designed to form such an article as a bath tub, for instance by drawing or pressing the male member into the female member, which may be, and preferably is, simply of ring shape, drawing each point or section of the article to its completed form as it travels into the female member, by varying the size of that member as the punch passes therein. In other words so that as the metal passes the drawing edge of the female member, it is shaped to its final form and as it passes into the female member beyond the drawing edge, further shaping or flow of the metal in the part already shaped does not take place.

As I have previously stated it is desirable and I obtain better results to first form a hollow blank before making the finished article. The machine for forming the blank is shown in Fig. 2 and comprises a frame A to which is bolted or otherwise secured the female die B, which I have shown in the shape of a ring, supported in suitable relationto the male die. C is the punch member of the press and this I have shown as carried on a piston rod 0 and operated by any suitable means. D is the draw plate, which is a ring com lementary to the ring B and supported an actuated by the piston rods D, which are actuated by any suitable means, such asa iston in a hydraulic cylinder. A late of s eet metal E is laid upon the draw p ate D, the punch member C being withdrawn to the position shown in dotted lines, and the draw plate D is then pressed up against the ring shaped female die B to clamp the late between, with the desired pressure. T fle punch member C is then operated inward, and a comparatively shallow blank F (dotted lines Fig. 1) is drawn in the well known manner. I have shown in this case the plunger as arranged below the female member but it is obvious that it may be above.

The blank F is preferably somewhat shallower than the finished tub, but of greater dimensions, i. e. greater length, and this blank is next operated on by my improved machine shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, in which G are the uprights and G is the top cross frame. Depending from this cross frame and suitably connected thereto is the ring H of the female die. In the construction here shown, the side bars (1 thereof form the sides of the female die, while the ends are formed by sliding dies I, I (Fig. 1). These sliding dies fit in recesses in the ring H at the ends thereof and slide in guides at the side edges, 1 the metal necessary, nor isthere any flow of as shown at b in F ig. 7. At their outer ends they carry the inclined lugs 0, adapted to be engaged by the inclines d on the standards 0 secured to the cross-head J of the punch member to move them in and out. Within the female die is a plate S backed by springs T, which, as the male die-withdraws, will press the finished article out.

J is the punch member and K is the draw plate. This draw plate is secured to the annular head K which is adapted to be actu' ated by the piston rods L having pistons in the hydraulic cylinders L. The punch member J is supported on the cross head J, to which is connected the piston rod J having a suitable piston in the hydraulic cylinder M. The draw plate is of sufficient depth to enable me to place thereon theblank F, and preferably surrounds the male die.

The draw plate being moved by the piston rods L to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the blank F is placed thereover and then the draw plate is pushed up to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the edge of the bottom of the blank F is clamped between the draw plate and the female die. The sliding die members I, I being in the inner position, the opening through the female die will be sufficient to allow the punch member J to pass therethrough, with a slight clearance for the metal, so that the punch can draw the metal upward. The piston J is then actuated and the punch member J is forced into the female die, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As the punch member enters, the sliding dies I, I are withdrawn so as to form an opening of the exact size of that portion of the finished article which is then passing over the drawing edge of the female member. This operation of pushing in the punch member and gradually withdrawing the sliding dies is continned until the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 4. The sliding dies 1, I are moved outward and inward by the inclines cl engaging the inclined lugs c. It is obvious that inasmuch as a bath tub has a greater incline at one end than at the other, the sliding a greater incline than at the other.

die I will move out farther and faster than the die I, and -thus at one end will be formed As the punch member is withdrawn, the article is pressed out by the springs T.

In this construction of press, the metal of the blank is drawn over the forming edge of the female die at each point, so that as that point of the article isgformed, it is the exact size and shape which it is to be in the finished article. In other words the female die changes its size just in proportion to the change of size of the article as it is formed as is illustrated-in Fig. 5. In this way, after any part of the article has once been drawn into the female die and over the drawing edge thereof, there is no further shaping of the metal required in that portion which has already been shaped.

In the construction shown, the longitudinal sides of the tub are shown as substantially straight. If they are intended to be inclined, either uniformly or differently, moving dies would have to be arrangedfor the sides.

If an article is to be made which narrows toward the top, the sliding dies will be opened to their widest point and then shoved inward as the punch moves into the female die. In this case, of course, some provision would have to be made for collapsing the punch member before it is withdrawn, but as this is obvious I do not deem it necessary to show it.

The essence of the invention, as I understand it, is, in the forming of an article h aving variable diameter, of female die provided with means for moving that die so that at all,

times the article will be drawn to its final form as it passes the drawing edge thereof.

In Figs. 8 and 9, I have shown a slightly modified form of sliding die, in which the sides slide longitudinally as well as the end portions. This I have accomplished by making each sliding'end portion with an ex: tension 0 forming the side ofthe female die and having a sliding engagement with the other end portion.

In Figs. 10 and 11, I have shown the female die as made of a yoke-shaped member P and an end plate Q. Various other modifications may be employed and still come within the scope of my invention.

The movement of the sliding dies I, I may be controlled by hand, or automatically by the movement of the punch member, as herein shown, or by other obvious devices.

What I claim as my invention is I 1. In a machine for shaping tapering vessels, a female die, means for changing the size of the drawing point of said die during the drawing operation; and a draw plate for hold ing the metal being drawn.

2. In a machine for shaping tapering vessels, 'a female die, and means for moving said die so that the drawing edge thereof will at all times shape the article to its final form.

3. In amachine for shapingves sels of variable form at different points in depth, a punch member, a draw plate, a female member, and means for positively varying the size of the drawing point of the female member to correspond to the size and shape of the finished article, whereby at all times the metal drawn inward by the punch member may be given its final shape in passing over the drawing edge of the female member.

4. In a machine for shaping vessels having variable size at different points in depth, the combination of a punch member, a female member, a draw plate adapted to clamp the metal on the edge of the female member, and

combination of a punch member, a female member, a draw plate adapted to clamp the metal between. it and the female member, two movable sections at the opposite ends of the female member. and means for moving them to var v the size of the drawing edge of r the female member during the movement of v the punch member.

6. In a machine for shaping vessels having variable size at. different points in depth, the combination of a punch member, a female member, a draw plate, a multiple of movable 1 sections of the female member, and means for ditl'erentiallv moving those sections to variabl v change the size of the female member during the movement of the punch member.

7. in a machine for shaping sheet metal i articles having varying diameter the eombination of a punch member of the size of the 1 bottom of the article to be produced, a te- I male die, and positive means for varying the size of the latter during the drawing operat'ion.

8. in a machine for shaping sheet metal vessels having variable size, the combination of a female die, .movable sections of the female member adapted to vary the size thereof during the drawing operation, a male die,

and a draw plate having a constant bearing during the drawing operation.

it). in a machine for shaping sheet metal, the combination of a female member having a movable drawing edge, a movable male member. a draw plate svrrounding the male member and within which it has travel, the draw plate being shaped to receive a disk-- shaped blank from which the article is to be drawn.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE H. SLOMAN.

\Yitnesses:

EDWARD D. AULT, A ELIA \VILLIAMS. 

